tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46304993443898198422011-10-03T06:32:30.320-07:00I don't think this blog has a defined purpose.Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.comBlogger651100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-74682824453304026712011-08-09T03:04:00.000-07:002011-08-09T03:16:41.852-07:00

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Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-79831972116021015512011-08-03T06:21:00.000-07:002011-08-03T07:35:42.293-07:00

My past couple of entries have been about journeys to stunning places, full of amazing things to tell you about. This entry? About an odd place, that was more adventure than good time (granted, riding a moto in monsoon rain for two hours might have heavily contributed to that). Last weekend I went with a few friends off the beaten track. And by off the beaten track, I mean a four hour round trip

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-21046917351045738272011-05-16T21:01:00.000-07:002011-05-16T22:08:46.209-07:00

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Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-38195680995103011712011-04-21T03:39:00.001-07:002011-04-21T03:52:52.765-07:00

Some new geography.<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-91138151029727784952011-04-17T18:47:00.000-07:002011-04-18T03:46:06.012-07:00

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Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-24874392146387205372011-04-16T07:40:00.000-07:002011-04-17T00:13:15.629-07:00

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-85922822793838382012011-04-16T01:22:00.000-07:002011-04-16T07:11:19.451-07:00

These phone numbers were all over town. Wall with interesting texture.This past week was Khmer New Year in Cambodia, and I got the week off of work. A friend and I packed our bags, and hopped on the midnight bus to Ho Chi Minh City, or Saigon. Cities I find hard to get to know in such a short period of time, especially with only Lonely Planet as a guide, so take this entry with a grain of salt

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-89444254615227258132011-04-03T02:12:00.000-07:002011-04-03T02:35:39.967-07:00

I like to complain about a lot of things. Sometimes I complain about Phnom Penh, I make fun of how it has only five things for tourists to do, how despite the fact that every single weekday morning at the same time I walk the same place, the tuk tuk drivers still ask if I need a ride (I complain about that one a lot). But the thing is, I really like Phnom Penh. It is hot and it is dirty, and

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-11392979861978067612011-02-22T02:17:00.000-08:002011-02-22T02:26:35.322-08:00

Things Cambodia is good at: Having a lot of national holidays. For some reason I'm still unclear about, there was no work Friday and I took advantage of a long weekend traveling with three friends to Sihanoukville and Koh Rong, an island three hours away. Koh Rong was literally so beautiful that of the four of us, only three came back. And who can blame my friend for wanting to stay a bit longer

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-11417776028731354962011-02-21T23:35:00.001-08:002011-02-21T23:44:02.922-08:00

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-40226624484684641042011-01-05T07:14:00.000-08:002011-01-06T02:35:46.463-08:00

I’ve been in Cambodia for well over a month now! It feels weird that Seattle is still battling cold weather while I’m sweating in a tank top and skirt. The time difference of fifteen hours isn’t much good for talking back home, I tend to wake up my parents in the wee hours of the morning just to have a chat. Luckily everything else is wonderful and I’m settling into life here quite well.2010 was

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-35511418846996144592010-12-07T18:54:00.000-08:002010-12-07T19:18:39.191-08:00

I had my first Khmer lesson Monday. There is something about learning a new language that never fails to make me feel like an infant. You’re completely helpless and don’t understand anything, and at the same time everything is totally new and beautiful and the world is filled with more possibilities than you can comprehend. There is also nothing like being able to appreciate the beauty in a new

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-16265918856477898312010-11-28T11:14:00.000-08:002010-11-28T11:16:11.508-08:00

That’s right, I’ve accepted a job in Cambodia and am moving to Phnom Penh. I’m a little saddened that the sight of books in my carry-on (admittedly a lot of books), were so unfamiliar on the scanner that I had to get my bag searched. Despite that little mishap I’ve made it through airport security unscathed and am waiting for my flight to Cambodia! I have just one layover, in Seoul, and I’m

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-4050518769414720932010-09-10T00:21:00.000-07:002010-09-10T00:31:42.152-07:00

Whats a girl to do when her CSA box is full of stone fruits? Make sorbet of course.Though, if we're being honest, considering I've made six flavors in the last five days I was just looking for another excuse to use my ice cream maker. Which I love. So far: blackberry (picked them myself), spicy chocolate, stone fruit sorbet (vegan friendly!), peanut butter (paired with a brownie is possibly the

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-68079306821000766982010-08-28T21:04:00.000-07:002010-08-28T21:06:17.946-07:00

I am of the persuasion that sometimes you have to work to enjoy a book. It may not be the most captivating thing, but even if I’m not engrossed after the first fifty pages I will solider on (unless I hate it so much and have no optimism, see “Eat, Pray, Love”). And based on reviews of Larrson’s “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” (though I prefer the Swedish title of “Men Who Hate Women”) I thought

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-30006037536291057962010-08-14T22:44:00.000-07:002010-08-14T23:05:37.725-07:00

My friends were awesome and hosted us in Ann Arbor for a night, took us around to see the city (they knit sweaters for trees here), a mural of Poe, and the university.

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-12919222495256867342010-08-14T12:01:00.000-07:002010-08-14T15:05:57.137-07:00

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-86943131004279424582010-08-01T06:47:00.000-07:002010-08-01T15:17:44.735-07:00

Manitoba was amazing. We left this morning after being there for a wonderful 6 days. No WWOOF farm could host us, so we ended up staying with a friend of our first hosts who are building a sustainable house out of straw and clay. They already had the walls with the straw part up, but Nick and I sifted clay and then making plaster, and then applying the plaster to the walls. It was really

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-6786715335072656032010-07-21T12:54:00.000-07:002010-07-21T13:10:56.543-07:00

A turn for the better! After our disastrous round in Alberta, we quickly sped to Saskatchewan. Land of the living skies. Or, (the motto I prefer), Saskatchewan, naturally. Our current stop isn't WWOOF at all, but a friend of my dog's breeder. We’re boarding at one of the premier Newfoundland kennels worldwide, which means that there are puppies!11 to be precise. Ranging from 5 weeks to 8 week s

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-41393552823556774172010-07-17T21:59:00.000-07:002010-07-17T22:01:26.150-07:00

Or, perhaps more accurately, why does Alberta hate me? The morning started off great in BC, a farewell pancake breakfast and some recommendations from our wonderful host. We began driving, through beautiful BC, over mountains, and stopping at the world’s largest truck for lunch. Or rather, the grocery store next to the world’s largest truck.Then we crossed the border. A call to our hosts at our

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-76491351928642493852010-07-17T21:10:00.000-07:002010-07-17T21:59:54.179-07:00

July 16th (will add in pictures with better internet later),Tonight is our last night here at Ravencourt Bed and Breakfast, and I’m sad to be going. I’d highly recommend it for WWOOFers or vacationers. We’ve weeded and window washed but mostly have simply been fed well. Its nice working mornings and then lounging afternoons, hikes involve bringing a can of bear spray, which doesn’t work as

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-24319743713752100182010-07-15T13:59:00.001-07:002010-07-15T14:07:49.977-07:00

Nick and I are holed up on the floor of a library using internet for the first time. After a long but uneventful nine hour drive mostly through the landscapes of Eastern Washington we arrived at our Bed and Breakfast a few days ago to start our WWOOFing adventure. Our first host is a super nice lady who feeds us delicious things (though the maple syrup is Kirkland brand!), and in exchange we work

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-29934241141484568692010-07-12T07:29:00.001-07:002010-07-12T07:29:35.077-07:00

Off to the next adventure! After three months in Kyrgyzstan filled with revolution and mass ethnic cleansing, I for reasons we won't talk about here (the pause in this blog was due to some PC censorship) I came back to America.And started planning my next trip. My cousin Nick and I are driving from Seattle to Toronto, WWOOFing it along the way of our trans-Canada adventure, and then taking a

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-56458955305976897912010-03-26T19:22:00.000-07:002010-03-26T19:26:13.297-07:00

Today was staging! This is basically Peace Corps orientation. We did group bonding activities, did some skits, etc. Nothing earth shattering, but I thought I’d let you know I’m an official Peace Corps Trainee and am safe in Philly. My flight out of New York is at 4:30pm tomorrow, though we’re leaving for the airport at 8. I should arrive ten hours later in Istanbul, at 10am, and have most of the

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-79848438926376658292010-03-23T10:28:00.000-07:002010-03-23T10:30:02.619-07:00

You guys, I leave in two days. Thursday morning I'll be at the airport decked out in things too heavy to pack- also known as my gigantic snow boots and winter coat. With my gigantic backpack that when my poor friend Val, who is probably the epitome of slender, tried to pick up yesterday and kind of failed. Any time I have traveled on a plane since graduating High School has been a trying

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-48161310113190417472010-03-05T10:49:00.001-08:002010-03-05T10:49:48.029-08:00

Tired of opening your mailbox to find only bills, junk mail, and hate mail? Wishing you could gloat to someone about how awesome your indoor plumbing is? Looking to make your friends jealous with your worldliness and far flung correspondents? Curious about Kyrgyzstan? Have I got the solution for you!Write to me in Kyrgyzstan! I’ll be lonely, isolated, and missing English. Which will means your

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-6194755201512958092010-02-25T21:46:00.000-08:002010-02-25T22:07:37.100-08:00

One month. On the 23rd I’ll be on a plane to Philly, and on the 26th I’ll have my staging. (They’re flying me out three days early without covering three days of hotels but I know to pick my fights carefully and I’m excited to explore the city of Brotherly Love) Which leads me to my next point, in less than a month I’ll be gone.I mean, I started applying in January/late December of last year and

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-62222386938195377152010-02-05T15:56:00.001-08:002010-02-05T15:56:40.479-08:00

We got a questionnaire in an e-mail yesterday, which is pretty exciting. It was also a nice reminder of where exactly I’m going, as questions to match with a host family included how comfortable I was with outhouses, bathing once every ten days, and having to walk at least twenty minutes to get somewhere.All of which I’m totally willing to do, though I may not smell so great. Part of the thrill

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-10789727228573552292010-01-13T23:20:00.000-08:002010-01-13T23:22:29.949-08:00

My internship at MercyCorps is with the recruitment team. And generally I’m sitting in my own little cubicle working on my own little projects, but today I sat fielding calls from donors. The devastating earthquake in Haiti has sprung forth a great response of people who want to help, and MercyCorps is responding to the emergency. It was great to see how many people wanted to help, but a lot of

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-80755037517446595102010-01-11T17:09:00.000-08:002010-01-11T17:28:09.613-08:00

Wednesday evening I hopped in the car and got my picture taken for my visa and PC passport (I look angry, which, I suppose, is how I’ll look by the time I get to customs) which was a total rip off by Walgreens but done super fast. After dropping off that and some paperwork I felt super accomplished. As I complete each little task this it becomes more and more real and exciting. Shakespeare

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-77640655293759759322010-01-04T18:44:00.001-08:002010-01-04T18:50:28.624-08:00

I’ve been given a ton of paperwork, and one of the more enjoyable things was writing my aspiration statement. Though the format didn’t leave a lot of room for creativity, it did cause me to reflect on my goals for service and why I’m doing this in the first place. As I’ve talked with my friend who is considering this herself, if I was doing the Peace Corps for one reason I wouldn’t be doing

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-71480381170094055402009-12-31T21:01:00.000-08:002009-12-31T21:19:22.536-08:00

As I anxiously stood at the window waiting for the mailman to show up, I remember that last year hanging out by the Space Needle for New Years fireworks a radio reporter asked me what my resolution for 2009 was. I responded to join the Peace Corps. And when the mailman finally came at five o clock (!), and handed me (because of course I opened the door to rush out and meet him) my packet it

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-76960112821225300562009-12-29T16:55:00.001-08:002009-12-29T22:03:02.231-08:00

Last night there was fire. The cousins have been clamoring for a fire for quite a while and we got a pretty good one going, sitting super close and drinking hot chocolate. A few renditions of ‘Let it Snow’ were even sung. Oops. Because it did snow, as I was getting ready to leave work, and it is still snowing. Snow used to be something that I loved and wished for every year without fail. My

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-10333870340258757022009-12-23T08:42:00.000-08:002009-12-23T21:57:38.578-08:00

An outcome of Apollo and Daphne if Apollo hadn't been a pyscho rapist Squirell! SwingNot domains or anything, I have officially lived in Portland for a grand total of three days now, and the first was spent mostly driving the car. I’ve been to Powells, the best place on Earth, I’ve been to Vodoo Donuts, and I’ve walked the 20 odd blocks from my new place to the electronics store to buy a charger

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-48664315023400367742009-12-12T13:03:00.001-08:002009-12-12T13:09:34.258-08:00

Turnips are a stranger to my family. As we sat reviewing what we would get in our CSA box this week, we debated for a while wether to change them out or not, before deciding to keep them in and try them. They’re strange looking things, tinted with purple but mostly white, and when I searched for recipes a soufflé caught my eye. It sounded bizarre, but so was this vegetable to me and so I tried

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-63754955609378784072009-11-24T11:05:00.000-08:002009-11-24T11:09:42.141-08:00

I don’t really like carrots. I’m still getting over my childhood aversion to anything that seems like it might be remotely healthy to me (the last time I ate a carrot it had more ranch on it than carrot), but these make my Mom ridiculously happy and are also ridiculously easy to make. A win win situation for everyone.This is the third time making them, and my first with baby carrots (which

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-35079224151939126512009-10-22T18:21:00.000-07:002009-10-22T18:29:11.071-07:00

This steak was a huge hit. It had a little too much of a kick for me, but I also fail at eating spicy food. It was however, delicious, and for the second time of using coffee I once again did not taste it. This is also a blog I haven’t tried anything from before and it got raves. I used it on steak, but originally it was used on pork. I think serving it with sweet potatoes would be great,

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-29454437811894649762009-10-22T18:06:00.001-07:002009-10-22T18:21:17.441-07:00

It’s fall. And in Seattle this means two things, one being that the rain is coming down in droves, and the second that it is unbelievably beautiful out. This recipe just seemed so fall like that I had to try it, and it was good. I’ve never had cauliflower not with cheese, but this topping was delightful. The one thing I wasn’t in love with was the texture of the cauliflower, I don’t like it baked

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-90145396341417780522009-10-11T15:14:00.001-07:002009-10-13T14:42:20.102-07:00

My Dad recently had his birthday (although out of town without me) and I can never turn down an excuse for cake making, so I decided to embark on this recipe. I was nervous about the amount of coffee considering what a bad Seattlelite I am (hot chocolate any day), but this cake was so good and so moist and so did not taste like coffee that it was clearly worth it. So instead of doing the

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-19089576707228789822009-09-21T10:41:00.000-07:002009-09-21T20:03:46.253-07:00

Things that are not photogenic with my not so awesome camera: things that are white, which mostly today includes tzatziki sauce and the pita bread. So I’ll provide the links for both of those, but only talk about the kebabs here. These kebabs were awesome, I was unsure about how cooking something covered in yogurt was going to go down, but that all burned off and left a slightly lemony purely

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-53945125856469872712009-09-07T18:41:00.000-07:002009-09-07T18:52:10.393-07:00

I am cooking for two, and this recipe says it serves four. I didn’t think to halve it because leftovers never hurt, however, this recipe lied. It really serves far more than four people, and my Dad is leaving on a business trip so I scooped up some leftovers for my sister’s boyfriend, and some for two of my friends in the neighborhood. This was good, basically homemade risotto and the tomatoes

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-31277435296852926372009-09-04T10:23:00.001-07:002009-09-04T10:29:01.775-07:00

If the judge of the quality of a dish is how fast it disappears then this counts as a success. Considering that I made two pies, and the only people in my household who are eating it are me and my Dad, it is rapidly disappearing. The first night both me and my darling ex-roommate and my Uncle all had seconds, and the rest of it has spiced up lunch like PB&Js never did. This says it made enough

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-16095020210340906352009-08-28T10:33:00.000-07:002009-08-28T10:44:39.381-07:00

The awesome thing about having friends that are adults is that sometimes they have houses. And sometimes, those houses come with trees. And sometimes those trees bear fruit, as in the case with my friend Kari’s house with its papple tree! And maybe papple isn’t the proper term (pear plus apple? Yes) but it is so much more fun to say than Asian Pear which is what the fruit is technically called.

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-10872450189690932592009-08-25T19:04:00.000-07:002009-08-25T19:15:13.721-07:00

My eldest sister came home from Baltimore recently, and was thoughtful enough to bring me back some Old Bay spice. To celebrate her return, I stayed home and made crab cakes while she went out with her boyfriend. Keep in mind that prior to this night I had never seen a crab cake, much less eaten one. But, there was a recipe on the box of the spice so I thought I might as well try. And I’m glad I

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-37584563318302205682009-08-21T10:28:00.000-07:002009-08-21T10:37:28.616-07:00

I’ve been busy moving (into my parent’s basement like every successful cliché) and unpacking so haven’t had a chance to post this yet. The recipe title for this was a Brandy Tart, but it much more resembled a not crumbly coffee cake to me. Good, just not super dessert tasting. The recipe calls for mextaxa or other good Brandy, and we used Christian Brothers Brandy so whatever you have around (or

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-82487370988048925322009-08-16T22:26:00.000-07:002009-08-16T22:31:13.218-07:00

Let me preface this: mixed reviews. As in some people thought that these were delicious, and some people were not big fans, and no one really asked for more than one, so on the whole, pretty average. Better when they first came out, and I think I paired the wrong sort of frosting with them so I’d either eat them as sweet muffins, or use a butter cream, so I’m not including the frosting recipe.

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-71098057434958957942009-08-14T14:13:00.000-07:002009-08-14T14:17:22.419-07:00

So this was meant to be a sauce, only it was not very saucy. Still delicious and served with some plums that I foraged. Maybe slightly unethically, but hey, they were not picking them. Anyways, if you wanted to turn this into a sauce you could probably just add some tomato paste to thicken it up. Also, this is a little mushroom heavy which makes me ridiculously happy, but my dinner guest didn’t

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-36501606192059446442009-08-11T18:30:00.000-07:002009-08-11T18:49:39.537-07:00

My tomato plant may have only produced one tomato, but it is glorious. And homegrown, and I may have left it on the vine a touch too long. So I bought another salmon fillet because it was ridiculously cheap and I’m a bit of an impulse buyer, and decided that to spice things up I’d bake it this time. After laying down a sheet of foil in my shallow baking pan, I then reflected that I had no idea

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-61931518132772959432009-08-09T21:40:00.000-07:002009-08-09T21:44:44.719-07:00

At a local grocery store down in Kent the other day, I spotted a rarity. A purple pepper. Having previously exclaimed my love for the color, you can imagine that I went and bought one (it tastes like all other bell peppers, closest to red I’d say), and since my friend was coming over to cook I decided to combine the two occasions. Stuffed Peppers Granted, by the end the peppers were pretty weak

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-51484201006391190932009-08-02T18:53:00.000-07:002009-08-02T18:59:46.119-07:00

When I was little (and to be honest now) I hated spaghetti sauce, and so ate my pasta with simply butter. Now, my palette has matured, not a whole lot truth be told, and so I’ve decided to introduce you to ‘Whatever is in the fridge pasta’. Which is, simply put, what I eat four nights a week.The noodleI prefer a penne or rigatoni, because macaroni is too tiny and I still have yet to learn how to

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-21357056499979145302009-08-01T17:55:00.000-07:002009-08-01T18:06:26.949-07:00

I may have spent the better part of last night eating chocolate chips out a bag. Which made me feel the need to do something more exciting tonight, and so I went and bought a salmon fillet from the store today. (Side note, they were selling these itsy cartons of blackberries for three fifty each, and this store is on the Burke Gilman, people are crazy) But I decided that nothing sounded better

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-80724984310906243882009-07-31T18:44:00.001-07:002009-07-31T18:46:54.419-07:00

Well kids, I’m done with the Eat Local challenge, and celebrated with a blackberry milkshake. (For those of you who don’t know how to make milkshakes, plop a scoop of ice cream, a splash of milk, and some fruit or chocolate or both into a blender and turn on)For those of you reading this for the benefit of my anthropology class, what have I learned:Eating local is hard, but definitely doable

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-14882075092390247662009-07-29T20:50:00.001-07:002009-07-29T20:53:43.768-07:00

So I am not the most observant Jew, having gone to Shabbat a handful of times this past year and mostly for the free meals. But even I know that latkes are eaten for Hanukah, a holiday whose whole ideal is things covered in oil. But, as family tradition goes we’ve always been able to pick whatever we want for our birthday dinner and my younger brother always picked latkes for his July birthday.

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-88628713083746288582009-07-29T09:16:00.001-07:002009-07-29T09:35:22.200-07:00

Yesterday I had a lovely meal of something that was like a tasty and not chemically conceived version of rice-a-roni. I finally pulled out my potlatch pilaf mix of grains which I had visions of filling roasted bell peppers with until I realized bell peppers were spendy, and cooked it up. Easy, yes. Tasty, yes. Would have been better with some ingredients I don’t have like mushrooms and chicken

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-62839300024439564532009-07-27T10:13:00.001-07:002009-07-27T10:18:59.851-07:00

I miss dessert also. Besides my cravings for butter and chocolate, I miss that right now? I’m not eating one of those five desserts I had last week. Tonight I had my friend Eunice, who is leaving sadly for law school in a whole different state for away next week, over. I haven’t been able to bake for her before because she doesn’t do dairy products, and granite seemed like just the thing on this

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-216599103014015312009-07-26T20:05:00.001-07:002009-07-26T20:09:31.518-07:00

Those blueberry muffins I made yesterday that I was kind of meh about? So damn good on day 2. Maybe the flavors just needed time to meet each other, but the two I had with breakfast next to my peach and blueberries were excellent, and filling enough to sustain me on my 18 mile bike ride I took this morning.By the end of last night I was in desperation for the rest of the week. I had tried to make

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-14950988964322347762009-07-25T14:05:00.000-07:002009-07-25T14:10:41.963-07:00

These are the rules: All parts of the food must be grown within 150 miles of where I’m out. My exemptions are olive oil, baking soda and powder, salt, and yeast. The morning started out with some blueberries (Olympia) drizzled with clover honey (within 150, but not sure where, they were a gift) for breakfast. I need to make sure to buy milk, because just drinking water is a little sad for me

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-78083257700676673242009-07-24T20:17:00.000-07:002009-07-24T20:20:47.907-07:00

Right? A part three? Halfway through the cooking of the soup I was starting to question if I was really up for a part three. And then I remember that because the only mushrooms I can find at the farmers market are so damn expensive, this might be my last note.A general disclaimer here: The only other time I’ve ever had chicken marsala was at the dorms. And lets be real, dorm food isn’t exactly

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-33779868213508789072009-07-24T20:08:00.000-07:002009-07-24T20:21:18.058-07:00

Until very recently I have never really made soup. Besides the kind that comes in cans, and even then I was never a huge fan. So it is with more than a little trepidation that I started making this squash soup, but it just seemed so colorful and fun that how could I not?While the bread was resting, I began to chop up all my ingredients to prepare. Adapted from Smitten KitchenSummer Squash Soup½

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-9244325821131164872009-07-24T19:44:00.000-07:002009-07-24T21:18:13.112-07:00

Tomorrow I embark on something a little scary. I’m going to eat local for an entire week, local being a 150 mile radius from my location in pretty urban Seattle. I’ll be documenting and doing this for my anthropology of food class, and while part of me is really excited because being a locavore is something I believe in, I’m also scared that I won’t have anything to eat. I am, after all, a pasta

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-83821970531829982502009-07-23T19:33:00.000-07:002009-07-23T19:35:52.615-07:00

No new recipe today, as due to my poor time management skills I ate cereal and top ramen for the most part. Excluding a really awesome dessert potsticker at Tiger Tail, which was cookie dough wrapped in a potsticker wrapper, drizzled with strawberry sauce, dulche de leche, and powder sugar.A couple of days ago I had the chance to volunteer as a server for the Strengthening Local Economies

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-79295019985174339792009-07-22T21:02:00.000-07:002009-10-22T21:09:23.715-07:00

Remember in elementary school when everyone got a chance to bring in cupcakes on their birthdays? I never did, because no matter how many times teachers promised an end of the year party for all summer birthdays it never happened. So maybe I’m overcompensating in that now even though I’m in college I’m still bringing baked goods to class. At least this time it was for a potluck.I love my Mom for

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-81743987222606828392009-07-21T20:43:00.000-07:002009-07-23T19:39:10.894-07:00

In trying to convince my sister (and roommate) to switch grocery stores, her primary protest was that they didn’t sell tortillas. Which is of course a downside, but nothing that a quick search through the Homesick Texan’s blog couldn’t remedy. The recipe seemed simple enough, I already had all the ingredients and everything. Until of course, I realized that even after having my own kitchen for an

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-16413882913192768242009-07-20T21:23:00.000-07:002009-07-25T15:30:22.294-07:00

Today, my friend Sarah received a present in the mail, and while most of us would be content to send a thank-you note or text, Sarah decided that cookies were in order. And who am I to argue against the baking of cookies?So off we went to Trader Joe’s (though the ingredients can be found at any grocery store) and picked up eggs and chocolate chips, which conveniently had a recipe on the back of

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630499344389819842.post-13441735692578997842009-07-19T21:33:00.000-07:002009-07-23T19:39:56.082-07:00

This glaze was adapted from a Bobby Flay recipe, and I put it over some kabobs with tomatoes, mushroom, pineapple, chicken, and peppers and thought it was awesome. It was also super easy and I already had all the ingredients, so if you're in need of something to grill with or just coat your meat, this would be an excellent and easy choice.Mustard Kabob GlazeMakes enough for more than four very

Tomilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174819126605151110noreply@blogger.com1